The Changing Role and Status of UK Government Communication during the Covid-19 Crisis

Abstract

It is posited that the Covid-19 crisis changed the role and status of UK government communication. With outputs from the government’s communication strategy and the Government Communication Service’s evaluation of its role and practice, the paper uses Bourdieu’s field theory to examine the changing position and status of government communicators within the political field and how this has influenced their communication practice. The findings suggest a new and enhanced role for government communicators, utilising the social capital inherent in the field. Some practitioners have moved closer to the centre of the political field because of the pandemic, with communication requirements driven by Covid-19 bringing the role of communication as a strategic management discipline to the fore. However, the increased demands for cultural capital, particularly regarding the communication of data, risk and uncertainty, together with structural changes to the field create risks to the new role and positioning of government communication in the UK.